Robert C. GalloBorn 23 Mar 1937.American scientist who co-discovered (1984) the virus responsible for AIDS - human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The French scientist Luc Montagnier independently found the same virus in 1983, but did link it with AIDS. Gallo developed the HIV blood test. Then health care workers could for the first time screen for the AIDS virus, both to protect blood transfusion stocks, and also to permit faster diagnosis of patients. Gallo continued to research therapies for those infected with HIV. In 1996, he discovered a natural compound - chemokines - can block the HIV virus and arrest the progression of AIDS. After 30 years at the National Cancer Institute, in 1996 he became head of the new Institute of Virology.« |
